Rotary printing press frame and driving means



AMaau'ch 17 1959 G. R. BRODIE 2,877,706

ROTARY PRINTING PRRss FRAME AND swING MEANS Filed April 6, 1955 INVENTOR. GEORGE R. BRODIE ROTARY PRINTING yPRESS FRAME AND DRIVING MEANS George R. Brodie, Lower Merian Township, Montgomery l County, Pa., assignor to Fredk H. Levey Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporationv of New York y Application April 6, 1955, Serial No. 499,617

Z Claims. (Cl. 101-178) This application relates to rotary, web-fed, printing :presses and, more particularly, to a novel design and construction of suchpresses whereby side sway of the press is minimized. f

Modern web-fed rotary presses, and particularly mult1- `color presses, are frequently 20 feet to 25 feet in height.

:United States Patent er' ICC vr. Patented Mar. 17, .1959

2 4 blanket cylinders and rollers constituting the water trains and ink trains are rotatably supported between the side frames and power for rotating these rollers is transmitted thereto from a primary driving means, usually an electric motor. r

In accordance with myv present invention, Iv may use more than one primary driving means, each having `its torque axis perpendicular to the press frame. However, I may use a single electric motor as the primary source of power. v

More advantageously, this motor is positioned at height near the upper end of the press, though, in the broader aspect of the invention, this is not essential.

The inventionwill be further described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing which repre'- sents conventionally and diagrammatically an embodiment of the invention in a multi-color web-fed press. For the sake of clearness the various cylinders and rollers having not been shown in the drawing, the drawing representing primarily driving mechanisms for such cylinders and rollers, and indicating the relative positions of the driving mechanisms.

In the drawing, a side frame is indicated at 1 and various supporting cross members are indicated in section `at 2. An electric motorv is represented at 3 with its torque axis 4 perpendicular to the side frame 1. Associated reelectric motor, positioned with its axis of ,rotation parallel to the vdriving shaft. f In operation, presses of this type have exhibited considerable objectionable side sway. This `condition is aggravated by the considerable height and relatively narrow base of the press. y

' I 'have discovered that this side sway is furtherl aggravated by the torque of the line shaft by which power is conveyed to the several elements of the press and that it can be materially reduced by the novel press design herein described.

In accordance with my novel design, I avoid the usual line shaft at the base of the press and so position the driving motor that the driving torque is exerted in a direction which does not aggravate the objectionable tendency toward side sway.

I accomplish this by positioning the motor, or other primary driving means, with its torque axis perpendicular to the press side frames and supporting the motor by side frames. By so positioning and supporting the motor, the effective torque is exerted in a direction endwise of the press, in which direction the press is adequately stable. Further, I position the line shaft at a height approaching that of the press. This line shaft extends in a generally horizontal direction over substantially the length of the press, and shafts for driving the various rollers and auxiliary mechanisms of the press extend downwardly from the line shaft.

By this arrangement, torque exerted by the line shaft and auxiliary driving shafts is ineffectual to promote side sway of the press.

The invention is of particular utility in conjunction with multi-color presses comprising a plurality of plate cylinders and an ink train, made up of a number of rollers, associated with each of the plate cylinders. In such presses, the plate cylinders, and frequently blanket cylinders, and the ink trains and water trains are positioned about a single impression cylinder, thus necessitating press frames of considerable height.

The impression cylinder is usually positioned intermediate the height of the press and, as understood by the art, the impression cylinder, the plate cylinders, the

ducing gears are indicatedat V5, the .motor 3 and thereducing gears 5 being supported by a bracket 6 which, in turn, is supported'by the press side frame;l

Power is conveyed from the mot'or and reducing `gears 3 and 5, respectively, to a pulley7 through a driving belt 8. This pulley is rotatablysupported by a shaft 9fwhich extends perpendicular to the press frame and` is supported thereby. Spur gear 10 and bevelled gear .11 are also secured toshaft 9. l: f v

The impression cylinder ofthe press (not shown) is rotatably supported by a shaft positioned as indicated at 12, and secured to said shaft is a large spur gear 13 which is adapted to cooperate with spur gear 10 and to be driven thereby.

Positioned just beneath gear 13 is a spur gear 14 secured to shaft 15 and adapted to cooperate with, and be driven by, gear 13. Also secured to shaft 1S is a bevelled gear 16 adapted to cooperate with bevelled gear 17, which is secured to shaft 18, said shaft being rotatably supported by bracket 19 which, in turn, is secured to press frame 1.

Secured to the lower end of shaft 18 is a bevelled gear 20 adapted to cooperate with bevelled gears 21 and 22 secured, respectively, to the ends of shafts 23 and 24. These shafts are rotatably supported by brackets 25 and 26, respectively, which are, in turn, supported by the press side frame 1.

Secured to the outer ends of shafts 23 and 24, respectively, are bevelled gears 27 and 28 adapted to cooperate, respectively, with bevelled gears 29 and 30 by which the lower ink trains are driven.

The several plate cylinders and blanket cylinders, not shown in the drawing, may, with advantage, be geared to, and driven by, the spur gear 13.

The line shaft 31 extends generally horizontally along the upper end of the press substantially parallel to the side frame and rotatably supported thereby by means of brackets 32 and 33. This line shaft is driven through bevelled gear 34, secured to shaft 31, and bevelled gear 35, secured to the upper end of shaft 36, and bevelled gear 37, secured to the lower end of shaft 36, and adapted to cooperate with, and be driven by, bevelled gear 11. Shaft 36 is rotatably supported by means of brackets 38 secured to the side frame.

The press illustrated is one which comprises 5 separate inking trains spaced about the impression cylinder. The

*the lower ends lo'f'shafts 43, vbevelled rgearsf4'4 secured yto it'he upper ends of shafts 43 and cooperating 'bevelled 'gears v45 secured to line shaft 31. Shafts 43 are rotatably supported by `brackets 38 secured to side frame 1.

Other auxiliary vmechanisms of the 'press maylikewise Vbe driven from the line shaft. VFor instance, the folder vmay be driven through shaft 46 and bevelled gear 47 secured thereto and -adapted to cooperate with bevelled gear 48 secured to the lower end of shaft 49, bevelled zgear 50 secured to the upper end of said shaft and cooperating bevelled gear 51 secured to line shaft 31.

Other -rollers over which the web passes to or from the 'impression cylinder may, likewise, 'be driven from line shaft 31. One such ,roller is supported 'by shaft 52 to `which there is secured spur gear 53, driven from a cooperatingspur gear secured to shaft 54 to which there is also'secured bevelledgear 55 which cooperates with bevelled gear S6 secured to line shaft 31.

The-dryer drum, and other auxiliary equipment, may `be similarly driven from an extension of the line shaft 31, not shown.

YIt will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof illustrated, but contemplates various modications within the scope of the appended claimswhich in'view of myprescnt disclosure will-be apparent to'one skilled in the art.

1. In conjunction with a rotary, web-fed printing press comprising parallel side frames for supporting the press rollers-and auxiliary press mechanisms, primary driving means for the press supported by the side frames and positioned with-its torque axis perpendicular to the side frames, a main drive -line `shaft extending horizontally over substantially the length of the press, generally parallel to the 4press side frames, rotatably supported by one of the side frames and positioned near the upper end of the press, driving means connecting the line -shaft with the primary driving means, and a plurality of shafts geared to the line shaft and extending downwardly therefrom for transmitting power to various rollers and aux iliary mechanisms of the press.

2. In conjunction with'a rotary, web-fed printing press comprising 'parallel side frames and an impression cylinder positioned intermediate the height of the press, a plurality of plate cylinders positioned around the impression cylinder and an ink train associated with each plate cylinder, all rotatably supported by the side frames, a motor for supplying power to operate the press supported by the side frames and `positioned witlilits torque axis perpendicular to the side frames, a main drive line shaft extending horizontally over substantially thelength of the press generally parallel to the side frames, rotatably supported by one of the side frames and positioned near the .upper end of the press, a gear secured to the axis of the impression cylinder, a second gear cooperating with the impression cylinder gear, rotatably supported on an axis perpendicular to the side frames and connected with Ythe motor, a driving shaft and associated gears connecting the second gear withthe line drive shaft, a third gear cooperating with, and positioned below, the impression cylinder gear, driving shafts and cooperating gears connecting the third gear with the gears of the inking trains positioned in the lower portion of the press and a plurality of shafts geared to the line drive shaft and extending downwardly therefrom for transmitting power to the inking trains positioned in the upper portion of the press.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,569,065 Bechman Jan. 12, 1926 1,734,077 Cline Nov. 5, 1929 1,908,608 Isbell May 9, 1933 2,120,714 Scott June 14, 1938 2,723,620 Huck Nov. 15, 1955 

